Backrest pad

ABSTRACT

A backrest pad for attachment to a chair having a backrest formed from transverse slats. The pad comprises a sheet of padding and a hardboard panel encapsulated in a sturdy and flexible cover forming an outer envelope for the pad. The cover also extends from the top and bottom edges of the padding and panel to form a pair of flaps on the envelope for embracing a portion of the slats to fasten the pad thereon. The envelope is formed by two sheets of material which are so shaped as to require a minimum number of seams while yielding a sturdy and highly functional pad.

United States Patent Primary Examiner-Francis K. Zugel Attorney-Trash Jenkins & Hanley ABSTRACT: A backrest pad for attachment to a chair having a backrest formed from transverse slats. The pad comprises a sheet of padding and a hardboard panel] encapsulated in a sturdy and flexible cover forming an outer envelope for the pad. The cover also extends from the top and bottom edges of the padding and panel to form a pair of flaps on the envelope for embracing a portion of the slats to fasten the pad thereon. The envelope is formed by two sheets of material which are so shaped as to require a minimum number of seams while yielding a sturdy and highly functional pad.

PAT-ENTEU am 5197:

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INVENTOR. RALPH B. LAY

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ATTORNEYS BACKREST PAD BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION desirable to have a pad on such backrests, the pad may easily become torn or damaged as the chairs are folded and stacked. Therefore, it is a general object of this invention to provide such a pad which can be readily installed or replaced on a chair backrest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the invention, my backrest pad comprises an envelope of a flexible, decorative upholstery material, such as a vinyl plastic, which encloses a generally rectangular hardboard panel and a small sheet of padding material such as polyurethane foam constituting a cushion extending across said panel. The cover material extends outwardly from the upper and lower edges of the padding and panel to form flaps on the envelope which are used to fasten the pad to the backrest of the chair. The flaps are wrapped over the horizontal members of the backrest and joined together by any convenientmeans, such as snaps. Preferably, when the pad is applied to a chair, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,199,915, the flaps are interwoven through the backrest slats in a manner which takes up any slack in the flaps, so that the pad is held securely in place and prevented from sliding sideways on the backrest.

The panel and padding are placed between two octagonal shaped sheets of the cover material and aligned so that the sides of the rectangular panel lie adjacent opposed sides of the octagonal sheets. The edges of said sheets are sealed, and thus the panel and padding are held in place and prevented from sliding about by the converging sealed edges of the sheets which extend to form the flaps.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention. In such drawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a folding chair having a backrest pad embodying the invention installed thereon;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the pad shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line 3- 3 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The backrest pad shown in the drawing comprises a small sheet 12 of cushioning material and a rigid backup panel 16 held in a sealed envelope 14. The panel 16 is disposed against one face of the cushion 12 to support said pad within the envelope. A pair of flaps l8 and 20 project outwardly at the upper and lower edges of the envelope to provide means for fastening the pad to the backrest 22 of a chair 24. While the backrest 22 may take any form having openings to receive the flaps l8 and 20, the pad is particularly adapted to installation on a chair having a plurality of vertically spaced horizontal slats 26 connected between the upright members of the backrest 22. The flaps may then be interwoven through the slats 26 and fastened together by snaps 28 mounted on said flaps.

The envelope 14 is formed by a pair of identically shaped sheets 32 and 34 of upholstery material such as vinyl plastic. After the cushion 12 and panel 16 are placed between the vinyl sheets, the peripheral edges of the sheets are sealed, as at 35. The sheets 32 and 34 are octagonal in shape and have a transverse dimension only slightly larger than that of the cushion and panel. In this manner, the cushion and panel are prevented from slldrng transversely within the envelope when the sheets 32 and 34 are sealed. Further, with the lateral edges of the flaps 18 converging inwardly from the comers of the upper and lower edges of the cushion, the cushion and panel are prevented from sliding vertically within the envelope. In addition to being sealed about their periphery, sheets 32 and 34 are also sealed together at the positions which receive the snaps 28, as at 37, to strengthen the interconnections between said sheets and to securely hold the snaps in place.

The pad 10 is applied to the backrest 22 with the cushion oriented outwardly from the slats 26 and with the flaps l8 and 20 interwoven through said slats and pulled tight to take up any slack so that the pad is held securely in place. The hardboard panel 16 gives permanent shape to the pad and prevents it from becoming wrinkled and unsightly.

While the embodiment described herein comprises a pad having a vinyl cover and mounting flaps, said cover and flaps can be made of other materials such as sturdy textile fabrics. In the latter case, all of the sealed portions of the cover and flaps would, of course, be replaced by stitching.

I claim:

1. A pad for attachment to a chair backrest having a plurality of transversely extending slats, comprising a rigid panel, a cushion formed by a sheet of padding material, said panel and cushion having two pairs of opposed sides, a cover forming an envelope encapsulating said panel and cushion and formed from two sheets of octagon-shaped vinyl plastic having their peripheral edges sealed together, said vinyl sheets forming a pair of end flaps projecting outwardly from the opposed ends of said envelope, one pair of said opposed sides of said panel and cushion lying adjacent said end flaps with the edges of said flaps converging inwardly from the corners of said one pair of sides, and snaps attached to said flaps whereby said flaps may be wrapped around the slats of the chair and releasably joined together by said snaps to hold the pad on the chair, said vinyl sheets being sealed for reinforcement at said snaps. 

1. A pad for attachment to a chair backrest having a plurality of transversely extending slats, comprising a rigid panel, a cushion formed by a sheet of padding material, said panel and cushion having two pairs of opposed sides, a cover forming an envelope encapsulating said panel and cushion and formed from two sheets of octagon-shaped vinyl plastic having their peripheral edges sealed together, said vinyl sheets forming a pair of end flaps projecting outwardly from the opposed ends of said envelope, one pair of said opposed sides of said panel and cushion lying adjacent said end flaps with the edges of said flaps converging inwardly from the corners of said one pair of sides, and snaps attached to said flaps whereby said flaps may be wrapped around the slats of the chair and releasably joined together by said snaps to hold the pad on the chair, said vinyl sheets being sealed for reinforcement at said snaps. 